Oxenhope.... REDWINGS! 26-09-2010

Pre Sunrise REDWING Skies.... (c) 2010


Mid Morning REDWING Skies.... (c) 2010


An Owl for a Grey Plover.... an unfair exchange!... (c) 2010


Cormorants > West... (c) 2010


Dunlin.... a brief touchdown!.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 26 September 2010
Counting period: 6:45-13:05
Weather: N F1 becoming NE F5, 7degC, 40km haze, 8/8, QNH 1016 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Chris King

Moving birds:
Cormorant 2 -
Common Snipe 6 -
Jay 2 -
Pink-footed Goose 36 -
Black-headed Gull 31 -
Magpie 3 -
Canada Goose - 19
Lesser Black-backed Gull 90 -
Starling 5 -
Mallard 20 -
Collared Dove 1 -
Chaffinch 26 -
Tufted Duck 2 -
Swallow 17 -
Greenfinch 9 -
Golden Plover 14 -
Meadow Pipit 190 -
Linnet 12 -
Grey Plover - 1
alba wagtail sp. 17 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -
Lapwing 1 -
Song Thrush 1 -
Reed Bunting 5 -
Dunlin - 6
Redwing - 243

Totals: 760 individuals, 26 species, 6:20 hours

Comments: Broken skies overnight, becoming overcast by dawn. Wind from northerly quarter ande QNH falling throughout. Disaster this morning as I forgot my bins... ariving early at the watchpoint and feeling my chest in disbelief... a quick dash home redeamed the situation but not back in time to get a Lap Bunt which had passed directly over Howard and Chris as it sped through SSW! and just as I was getting out of the car!! Virtually the next birds seen were REDWINGS, a flock of c 40 at distance out to the east exceptionally high and powering NW, no sooner had we soaked this up than yet another flock going the same direction at a similar height. This set the scene for the morning with nine flocks seen throughout, totalling 243 NW.... An obvious arrival, albeit small, overnight! It should be noted that whilst concentrating on and scanning the skies for Redwing... the birds of the day, that quite a lot of the other movement would have been missed. Here mips appear dead with few going through but a walk through the local "mipit" fields this afternoon indicated there were still grounded big flocks in the area, so if widespread there might just be another big day to come as conditions improve. Disaster for me didnt end with the missed Lap Bunt as Chris and myself went off to check a few spots nearby for grounded birds... no sooner had we left the watchpoint than Howard had a Grey Plover going NW! Needless to say all we found was a Little Owl, the first for some years at this site. Reed bunts were going west, a couple of Jays SE, A single skein of Pinks went E. A group of dunlin came in from the SE, circled, touched down briefly before going on NW.

Dave, Howard and Chris

Hunter Hill, Calderdale... 26-09-2010

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 26 September 2010
Counting period: 6:40-8:20
Weather: Hunter Hill watchpoint - 7c with a cold wind from N/E F4/5 and difficult to find any shelter. Good visibility except to the east as the sun rose. Clear skies above with high cloud to south and west.
Observers: David Sutcliffe

Moving Birds:
Canada Goose - 1
Swallow 8 -
Lapwing - 1
Meadow Pipit 62 -
Black-headed Gull 21 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Common Gull 2 + 1
Jackdaw 40 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 7
Chaffinch 1 -
Woodpigeon 2 + 6
Goldfinch 1 -

Totals: 158 individuals, 12 species, 1:40 hours

Present: Swallow 10, Magpie 2, Rook 2, Carrion Crow 15

Comments: Really hard work this morning with the wind, and the glare from the sun as it rose. Birds were hard to find with the few Swallows coming through hugging the ground and Meadow Pipits unsure which way they were going!

....................................................
Counting period: 15:00-16:30
Weather: Hunter Hill watchpoint - 11c with a cold wind from N/E F4/5 and difficult to find any shelter. Good visibility with conditions similar to this morning
Observers: David Sutcliffe

Moving birds:
Sparrowhawk 2 -
Swallow 9 -
Golden Plover - 1
Goldfinch 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 + 2

Totals: 18 individuals, 5 species, 1:30 hours

Present: Kestrel 1, Jay 2

Comments: Very little movement this afternoon

David Sutcliffe

Staainburn Moor, Harrogate... 26-09-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 26 September 2010
Counting period: 6:00-11:00
Weather: NNE 4-5; 5/8-8/8 cloud- 11C at and of watch wind chill high.
Observers: A Hanby, J Blacker

Moving birds:
Grey Heron - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 9
Redwing 36 -
Pink-footed Goose 57 -
Collared Dove - 9
Mistle Thrush - 1
Canada Goose 15 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Magpie 2 -
Peregrine - 1
Skylark - 6
Jackdaw 5 -
Lapwing 199 + 10
Swallow - 154
Tree Sparrow - 1
Common Snipe - 8
Meadow Pipit 193 -
Chaffinch 8 -
Black-headed Gull - 5
Grey Wagtail 1 -
finch sp. 27 -
Common Gull - 43
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Goldfinch 7 -

Totals: 804 individuals, 24 species, 5:00 hours

Present: Common Buzzard 4, Kestrel 3, Golden Plover 250, Lapwing 200, Stock Dove 8, Woodpigeon 40, flava wagtail sp. 1, Dunnock 1, Coal Tit 4, Blue Tit 2, Great Tit 5, Starling 250, Greenfinch 1

Comments: Another lastingly cold watch with some minor highlights ( low altitude 'high'!). The Pink-footed geese when by in three flocks ( 6, 5, and circa 46) at 07.40, 07.55 and 10.30 respectively, all in an ESE direction, with the second two flocks potentially viewable also from Oxenhope. The trend of Canada W continues with a flock of 15 today. A female Peregrine headed purposefully NNW without stopping in the third hour. Most of the moving lapwing ( 199 S, 10 N) were in the third hour of the watch and mostly in one flock ( 170) which headed South over the Wharfe. There was a distinct movement of Collared Doves in various permutations of North; this represents our biggest movement of this species to date. Any attempts to claim Woodpigeon movements were regularly dispelled by similar numbers going in the contrary direction- hence a null return! Swallows showed a burst just after dawn and then dribbled away by the 4th quarter of the watch; the hour breakdowns were 79, 53, 12, 10- all permutations of N and most NE. A flava on the road was a surprise first thing. It flew into the adjacent field but AMH was unable to see it on the deck to confirm it as a yellow- which it looked most like. The redwing, 30 and 6 came in from a traditional NE direction in the third quarter of the watch. After those we expected more, but were disappointed. The flock of 4 Coal Tits U turned twice and failed to progress in the dismal conditions. Meadow pipits had a burst of activity in the first hour and then went through at a steady low rate. The hourly breakdowns ( not emotional I hasten to add- these were more frequent!) were, 87, 33, 35 and 38. The general direction was a highly unusual ESE

Andy and John

Caldene Fields, Low Moor.... 26-09-2010

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 26 September 2010
Counting period: 6:45-10:00
Weather: Dry 80% cloud clearer weather pushing in from the S/W. N/E F3-4 and a temp of 8c
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving Birds:
Gannet 1 -
Woodpigeon 31 -
Magpie 1 -
Sparrowhawk - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Jackdaw 3 -
Kestrel 1 -
Swallow - 4
Rook 1 -
Dunlin - 7
Meadow Pipit 14 + 21
Carrion Crow 5 + 4
Black-headed Gull 27 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Starling 1 + 10
Common Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 10 + 3
Chaffinch 4 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 12
Redwing - 32
Greenfinch - 16
Stock Dove 4 -
Mistle Thrush - 8
Goldfinch 3 + 138

Totals: 368 individuals, 24 species, 3:15 hours

Comments: : What a day! The star bird was a juv Gannet that was picked up at 9.24 flying S/W over Birkenshaw then drifted over Wyke providing good views and then 5 minutes later 7 Dunlin flew N !!!. Coming back to earth, there was an influx of Redwing to the N/W in 3 parties and possibly other thrushes as some Reds came in with Mistle Thrushes. Goldfinch again moved but not like yesterday and Mips were half hearted as a number were sat on nearby wall reluctant to move.

Martyn Priestley

Fly Flatts / Ned Hill.... 26-09-2010

See Brian Sumners web page for full details:
http://birderbri.blogspot.com/2010/09/redwings-are-coming.html
Dave

Paul Clough.... 26-09-2010

0700-0915,
Again birdless skies with the exception of about 20 Mpipits blogging around at the top of the clough. About 30 Chaffinches moved up and out of the clough along witha party of Bullfinch. The star bird today was a male Ring Ouzel which broke cover briefly to feed on rowan berries then dived back into cover not to be seen again. A Roe Deer also came out of the trees and crossed the field opposite the watchpoint.

Chaffinch 30, Bullfinch 9, Reed Bunting 3, Ring Ouzel 1, Great Tit 10, Bluetits 8, Goldfinch 4 Blackbird 2, Sparrowhawk 2, Kestrel 1.

Brian Vickers

Redcar Tarn..... 26-09-2010

Redcar Tarn 07.50-09.20hr Vismig watch
Reed Bunting 1 west, Redwing 8 west 4 south, Siskin 4 West,
Lapwing 4 north, Sparrowhawk 1 west, Mistle Th 3 west,
Meadow Pipits 25 various, Skylark 2 north, Greenfinch 3 west,
Goldfinch 4 west, Linnet 8 west

Birds in the area;
200+Lapwing, BHGull, Common Gull, LBBGulls, 3 Herring Gulls,
6 Goosander, 7 Tufted Duck, Coal Tit, 4 Skylark, 10+Mipits

Mark Doveston